Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not a bacon fetishist by any stretch of the imagination. Some people would have you believe that bacon is the alpha and omega and would think less of you for daring to voice anything to the contrary. There are bacon t-shirts, stuffed animals, scented pillowcases, lip balm, bandages, gumballs, toothpasteandfloss…even condoms. It sometimes seems like the Internet is responsible for turning the cured meat from a tasty side dish into a weirdly unironic religion (complete with a congregation that’s as rabid as it is vocal).

That’s not to say I’m not a huge fan of the stuff; I’m just not a freak about it. These cookies could make a strong case for the opposite, but truth be told, I only attempted them because I had some extra bacon from the scones I made the other week. Waste not want not, ya know? Fortunately, they’re pretty damn excellent. The bacon adds a certain amount of saltiness without overpowering the general “cookieness” of the whole affair.

INGREDIENTS

8 – 10 strips thick cut bacon, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)

2 & 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup—1 & 1/2 sticks—butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup bacon fat

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup of chocolate chips, dealer’s choice (I went with mini ones because I had them lying around. I guess I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I have chocolate chips just lying around).